Senegal's World Cup dream ends after late collapse against Belgium
via Abidjan.net11 min read
Senegal's national football team, the Lions of Teranga, suffered a devastating defeat against Belgium on Wednesday, July 1, in Seattle, ending their 2026 World Cup campaign. After leading 2-0 for much of the match, Senegal conceded two goals in the final minutes of regular time, allowing Belgium to equalize. The game then went into extra time, where Belgium secured the win with a penalty in the 120th minute. This bitter loss, which saw Sadio Mané and his teammates exit the tournament, mirrored similar disappointments for other African teams like Côte d’Ivoire and DR Congo, who also let winnable matches slip away. The Lions of Teranga had played well for 80 minutes, with Habib Diarra scoring after a Sadio Mané assist and Ismaïla Sarr adding a second goal in the 50th minute. However, Belgium's Romelu Lukaku scored in the 86th minute, followed by Youri Tielemans equalizing in the 89th minute. The decisive penalty for Belgium came after a VAR review in extra time, with Tielemans converting to seal Senegal's fate.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Abidjan.net.
African football teams are experiencing a recurring issue of conceding late goals and losing control of matches in the 2026 World Cup, a phenomenon dubbed "the last-minute syndrome." This trend was highlighted by several matches where African nations, despite strong performances, ultimately fell short. The Democratic Republic of Congo held England for nearly 90 minutes before Harry Kane scored an equalizer and the winning goal in the 86th minute. Senegal, after a dominant display, conceded two quick goals and a penalty in extra time, leading to their elimination. WalfQuotidien criticized coach Pape Thiaw's late-game substitutions. Seneplus noted Senegal's inability to manage the final minutes despite controlling the match. Afrik-foot pointed out that this pattern began with South Africa conceding a late goal against Canada and Côte d'Ivoire losing to Norway after equalizing. The publication suggests that while African teams possess talent comparable to European elites, the issue lies in managing the crucial final minutes, where concentration, composure, and tactical mastery are key. The painful exit of Senegal is seen as a prime example of this problem. The only exception mentioned is Morocco, which managed to equalize against the Netherlands in added time. With many African teams eliminated, hopes now rest on Egypt, Algeria, Ghana, and Cape Verde. Morocco, after a victory against the Netherlands, is set to face Canada, a team they previously defeated in the 2022 World Cup gr
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